DE2845191A1 - SELF-STABILIZING FLOATING TOWER - Google Patents

Description

Iceberg Transport International

(ITI) ltd.

43 »avenue de Friedland

F-75008 PARIS

Self-stabilizing for ^e sc

'' floating tower

The invention relates to a self-stabilizing floating tower for use on the high seas, whose vertical up and down movements have a smaller amplitude than the vertical movements of the Sea surface.

The exploitation of the riches of the seas requires it on the high seas to operate systems of all kinds and these at certain points in the sea above or to be immobilized at a certain depth below the surface of the sea. A good example of this is the exploitation of oil deposits in the continental shelf off the coasts of the continents. The industrial Use of tabular icebergs in particular also requires floating bodies of the same type to move the iceberg lashing, hauling, protecting and exploiting. As the supplies significant and the tabular icebergs are up to 2oo m thick, and since the equipment for exploiting the icebergs must be towable, this is Use of floats indicated. A suitable float should be compared to the Be relatively immobile when attacked by the swell or the swell. They say an ideal swell is marked by a certain direction and speed of the swell, a certain period and a certain Length and height of the waves, the height of the swell being the

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vertical height is up to the crest of the wave and can reach ten meters. In other words, for a floating body stabilized in the sea, the height of the swell is the difference between the temporarily highest and lowest water level. The swell found on the high seas consists of two superimposed swells with different wavelengths, which also propagate at different speeds and are caused by the overturning of waves, which is usually referred to as "second order swell". This second order swell requires special measures in the construction of floats of the type in question. Even if swells of more than twelve to fifteen meters are rare and the largest wave known to date has reached a height of about thirty meters, it must nonetheless Particularly for safety reasons , very high swells can also be taken into account in the construction of floating bodies.

A floating body floating on the high seas is movements caused by the attack on the sea surface which give it both vertical and inclined movements.

The amplitude of vertical movements of swimming bodies corresponds in their order of magnitude to the height of the swell and this changes accordingly. The increase in buoyancy of the float is a consequence of the in relation to its immersion depth temporarily very sharply rising sea level, as it is caused by a wave, while the reduction in the buoyancy of the float is a consequence of the temporary in relation to its immersion depth very sharp drop in sea level is. To the amplitude of the attack on the sea surface To reduce generated movements of the floating body, it is necessary that the coincide with its mass Temporary elevations or depressions in the water level that change normal buoyancy of the float excluded from the generation of a buoyancy effect. It essentially follows from this that what is submerged Volume of the floating body on the one hand must be as far away as possible from the water surface and on

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on the other hand, the horizontal surface of the float at the waterline must be as small as possible. It is known that a vertical rod floating in water, the so-called Proud rod, whose diameter and thus its horizontal immersion surface is small in relation to its length, corresponds most closely to this principle, since its immersed volume is removed from the surface of the water. Likewise, floating scaffolds or floating platforms, such as those used for underwater drilling, correspond to this principle. In these constructions, the main part of their buoyancy volume is concentrated below the surface of the water and carried by essentially vertical cylinders of small volume in relation to the overall construction. It should be pointed out that in this Pail the diameter in the area of the waterline is small in order to obtain a small surface. On the other hand, the girdling of table-shaped icebergs for protection against erosion, for fastening the towing and lashing lines, for fastening insulation shields can advantageously be represented by the use of floating cylinders or floating towers, whereby the floating bodies or floating towers are evenly spaced and unfoldable, loose protective covers that are suspended from them by metal cables or plastic cables or textile fiber cables. The diameter of the floating door is sufficiently dimensioned to be able to hang the protective covers formed by vertical curtains or panels on horizontal brackets or chains, the protective covers being suspended on two adjacent floating towers opposite one another and being stabilized in this way.

Based on the aforementioned prior art, the present invention relates to a device that can be used on the high seas floating tower, which in terms of the maximum amplitude of the swell and changes in the height of the The sea surface corresponds to the technical conditions set out below:

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You amplitude of the vertical movements of the floating Tower is below 2o #.

The immersion depth of the floating tower does not fall below 15o ».

The height of the floating above the surface of the water Tower should be reduced to 33 #.

The total height of the floating tower is below

To solve this problem, the invention proposes a swimming tower construction in front, consisting of a vertical, cylindrical outer peripheral wall and a horizontal one, this one consists in two cylinder sections dividing partition. The lower cylinder section is floodable from a wreath Buoyancy bodies are formed, which enclose a bell-shaped, partly air-filled buoyancy space, this air-filled buoyancy space in terms of vertical movements of the tower acts as a pneumatic shock absorber and as a whole as ballast. The upper cylinder section communicates with the sea.

According to a first embodiment of the invention, the upper cylinder section is a one-piece damper chamber educated. The surface of the upper cylinder section is regular over an angular range of 180 ° arranged breakthroughs, while they over the remaining angular range of 18o ° out to that Side is closed on which the tower on a surface to be protected, for example the vertical Lateral surface of a tabular iceberg rests. According to a second embodiment of the invention is the Provided the entire surface of the upper cylinder section with regularly arranged openings. In this The case is a coaxial, likewise vertical cylinder wall lying on the inside of the outer vertical cylinder wall provided, which on the one hand forms an annular damper chamber in the upper cylinder section and on the other hand, the partition wall in the lower cylinder section between the bell-shaped buoyancy chamber and the hanging of floodable buoyancy bodies, their outer partition towards the sea through the outer cylinder wall

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is formed, forms. The inner cylinder is then calibrated with sea water fills, the inner cylindrical peripheral wall forming the upper cylinder section is above the horizontal partition wall provided with breakthroughs. To quickly equalize the water level within the interior To ensure cylinder, the breakthroughs have a total cross-section of the inner cylinder compared to an overall larger cross-sectional area. As a result, the water pressure between the inside and the Outside of the upper cylinder section at least for the most part, so that the force of the waves through the annular damper chamber formed between the inner and outer cylinder is dismantled. A further improvement in the damping effect can be achieved by placing between the circumferential walls of the inner and the outer cylinder, radially directed, planar partition walls extending over the entire height of the tower to be ordered. As a result, in the upper section of the tower between the inner and outer cylinder sections a wreath formed by damper chambers. At the bottom The radially directed partition walls between the inner and outer cylinders form part of the tower lateral boundaries of the floodable buoyancy bodies, which are arranged in a ring. In addition, you can the vertical partitions form vertical stiffeners of the lower section and extend over the lower part of the outer Extend cylinder out. The inner cylinder also extended beyond the lower part of the outer cylinder can take a lot of ballast. Horizontally directed reinforcement plates, the diameter of which corresponds to that of the corresponds to the outer cylinder wall, form an additional resistance to vertical movements of the floating tower. In this context, it should be noted that that horizontal plates to increase the stability in the vertical direction already according to the principle of a Buoys constructed by Froud's rod had been suggested. These known horizontal plates protrude in the Body of the buoy very wide, in fundamental contrast to the horizontal reinforcements of the floating tower

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according to the present invention.

A particular advantage of the floating tower according to the invention is seen in the fact that it is made with the help of a sliding formwork is very easy to manufacture. The tower has a constant cross-sectional shape over its entire height with the exception of only the horizontal partitions, which are a complete or partial closure serve the interior of the tower. The outer circumferential wall can by a constricted cylinder, its base or Plan shape is formed rosette-shaped from circular segments, the circular segments segments of a circle with less Are diameters than the circle circumscribed by the vertical partitions.

The floodable floats, of which at least eight are used, are at least partially filled with air. The floodable floats can be filled with sea water to adjust the immersion depth or the slope of the to be able to regulate the floating tower. TJm to reduce the movements of the sea water within the buoyancy bodies, partitions are provided on the one hand and it is provided on the other hand that the air contained in them under stands a pressure by which at the same time the water pressure of the sea acting from the outside is compensated. Seawater is normally used as ballast, but it is also possible to use fuel for propulsion units to be accommodated as ballast in some of the floodable floats.

In the center of the ring of floodable buoyancy bodies is the central cylindrical wall through which also the buoyancy bodies forming end wall, which also has a bell-shaped in its upper half with air, limited in its lower part with water-filled buoyancy space, closed. The air trapped in the bell-shaped buoyancy space is of course under a pressure corresponding to the immersion depth of the tower, in particular a pressure which corresponds to the weight of the tower Water column corresponds to which is between the level of the current water level and the level of the dividing line between water and air inside the bell-shaped

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4,

Buoyancy space is located.

If, therefore, as a result of the swell of the sea in which the tower swims, one of the level of the water level at calm Water opposite causes increased position of the water level, will also reduce the pressure on the in the bell-shaped Increase the column of water determining the buoyancy space, thereby increasing the volume of the buoyancy chamber contained in the bell-shaped buoyancy Air is decreased. This reduction in volume and thus the reduction in lift compensates for the resulting from the temporary rise in the water level increased immersion depth of the tower resulting from additional buoyancy. Therefore, the tower has an essentially constant buoyancy even with increased immersion depth and shows no tendency to rise. Conversely, one caused by the swell has an effect temporary sinking of the water level below the level of calm water a decrease in the height of those Water column, which determines the pressure acting on the air trapped in the bell-shaped cavity, whereby the Air volume in the bell-shaped buoyancy chamber and thus the total buoyancy of the tower are increased and therefore in turn compensates for the decrease in lift of the tower due to its lower immersion depth. Despite the Reducing its immersion depth, an essentially constant buoyancy force also acts on the tower in this case, so that the tower shows no tendency to sink. So that a balance between the change in volume of the im bell-shaped buoyancy chamber contained air and the change in the submerged volume of the tower in the area the waterline, both volumes must be of the same order of magnitude. To achieve this is the The height of the air enclosed in the bell-shaped buoyancy chamber is determined in the same way as the air that causes it, corresponding changes in the instantaneous water level height approximate changes in volume expressed the respective distance of the horizontal surface of the swimming tower submerged in the area of the waterline should correspond to the dividing line between air and water inside the bell-shaped buoyancy chamber.

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The floating tower according to the invention can accordingly be provided with additional superstructures when used. These structures are known per se and are not the subject matter of the present invention.

The invention is described in detail in the following description of examples using two exemplary embodiments shown in the drawing.
In the drawing shows the

FIG. 1 shows a longitudinal section through a floating tower according to the invention;

FIG. 2 shows a cross section through the floating tower according to FIG. 1 along the line I - I;

FIG. 3 shows a cross section through the floating tower according to FIG. 1 along the line II-II;

FIG. 4 shows a longitudinal section through another embodiment of a floating tower according to the invention;

Figure 5 is a diagrammatic representation of an inventive, floating tower, according to Figure 4;

FIG. 6 shows a cross section through a third embodiment of the floating tower according to the invention 1

FIG. 1 shows a longitudinal section through a first embodiment of an in the sea 1 according to the invention floating tower. The floating tower consists of a vertical, cylindrical outer wall 2 and is divided into two sections open at their ends by means of a horizontal end wall 3. The lower section consists of a ring of at least eight floodable buoyancy bodies 4. The buoyancy bodies 4 delimit one Bell-shaped buoyancy space 5 partially filled with air 6. The floodable buoyancy bodies 4 are at least partially filled with sea water, and serve to stabilize the floating tower. The bell-shaped one Buoyancy space 5 acts as a pneumatic one in relation to the vertical movements of the floating tower

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Shock absorbers. The floodable floats 4- are limited from the horizontal end wall 3, a lower annular end wall 8 and partly through the outer peripheral wall 2, on the other hand by a cylindrical, internal partition 7, the internal partition 7 projects below the outer peripheral wall 2 and has a horizontal reinforcing plate 9 forming an annular collar, the diameter of which corresponds to the diameter the outer cylinder wall 2 corresponds. That of the lateral mutual subdivision of the floodable buoyancy bodies 4 Serving vertical partitions extend downward beyond the buoyancy bodies 4 into the area between the lower end wall 8 and the annular collar 9 forming the horizontal stiffening plate. The partition walls 1o form thus a vertical reinforcement for the cylindrical partition 7, which surrounds sea water as ballast. The upper cylinder section formed by the outer cylinder wall extends over an angular range of 180 ° provided with regularly arranged recesses. About its remaining, also 180 ° angular degree The swimming tower has a closed peripheral wall in its upper section. The breakthroughs in the circumferential wall of the upper section of the tower are of the kind as in that U.S. Patent 3,383,869, filed January 18, 1965, issued on the 2nd May 1968. The interior of the upper Section of the cylinder therefore forms a uniform damper chamber.

FIG. 2 shows a horizontal cross section through the floating tower according to FIG. 1, from which the arrangement the breakthroughs in the outer cylinder wall becomes clear.

FIG. 3 is also a horizontal cross section through the floating tower shown in FIG. the floodable buoyancy bodies 4 are limited by the outer peripheral wall 2, the cylindrical partition 7 and the vertical partitions 1o.

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FIG. 4 is a vertical longitudinal section through another embodiment of one according to the invention floating tower. The outer, vertical and cylindrical circumferential wall 2 is surrounded by a horizontal partition 3 divided into two outwardly open cylinder sections. A vertical, internal and external cylinder wall 2 coaxial cylinder wall 11 forms an annular damper chamber in the upper section of the tower 12 and in the lower section of the tower, the partition between the bell-shaped buoyancy chamber 5 and the floodable floats 4.

As can be seen in particular from a partially broken away diagrammatic representation of an inventive Floating tower of the implementation form according to FIG As can be seen from FIG. 5, in this embodiment the seawater can enter the annular damper chamber 12 through rectangular Penetrate openings in the outer circumferential wall 2. These breakthroughs can also be circular Have cross-section. When the sea level moves, part of the wave is caused by the broken areas of the outer circumferential wall 2, while another part of the shaft in the annular damper chamber 12 penetrates and breaks on the inner cylinder wall 11. The inner cylinder wall 11 points near the horizontal end wall 3 arranged breakthroughs, which provide a rapid output of the water level between the ring-shaped Ensure the damper space and the interior space in the cylinder wall 11. These breakthroughs in the inner cylinder wall 11 have a larger overall Cross-section than the inner cylinder wall 11 itself. Therefore, the pressure exerted on the inner cylinder wall 11 by the annular damper chamber 12 is partial balanced by the counter pressure inside the cylinder wall 11 of the floating tower. The lower section the floating tower consists of a ring of floodable buoyancy bodies 4, which at least partially with sea water 1 are filled. These buoyancy bodies 4 are separated from one another by vertical partitions 1o,

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ty 28-5191

which connect the horizontal end wall 3, which forms the ceiling, to the annular end wall 8, which forms the bottom, of the buoyancy bodies 4.

FIG. 6 shows a horizontal cross section through a floating tower according to the invention. This sectional view shows in detail an outer circumferential wall 2 which, in contrast to FIG. 3, does not have a circular plan. The outer circumferential wall 2 has a smaller radius between two vertical partition walls 1o than that radius which has a circle around the partition walls 1o. This special arrangement results in an improved resistance of the outer circumferential wall to the attacks of the sea surface. It should also be emphasized that the annular damper chamber 12 can be divided by vertical, radially directed partition walls. For this purpose, planar partition walls can be arranged between the inner circumferential wall 11 and the outer circumferential wall 2 over the entire height of the floating tower. In this case, the horizontal cross-section of the tower at each point is the horizontal cross-section shown in FIG. 6 or FIG. The vertical section of the tower corresponds to that shown in FIG.

According to the invention, the floating tower described above is made of concrete using sliding formwork.

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Claims (1)

PATENT CLAIMS: M. ) J Self-stabilizing floating tower for use on the high seas, characterized in that it consists of an outer upright cylindrical peripheral wall (2) which is divided into two sections open on one side and the lower cylinder section of which is divided by a horizontal partition (3) a bell-shaped buoyancy chamber (5), which is partially filled with air and serves as a pneumatic shock absorber for the vertical movements of the tower, of floodable buoyancy bodies (4-), which at the same time also form a ballast to the necessary extent, while the interior of the upper one Cylinder section is in communication with the sea. 2.) floating tower according to claim 1, characterized in that the upper cylinder portion is designed as a one-piece damper chamber and over an angular range of 18o is provided with regularly arranged openings. 3.) floating tower according to claim 1 and 2, characterized in that the entire upper cylinder section is provided with regularly arranged openings. 4.) swimming tower according to claim 3, characterized in that that for the outer vertical cylinder wall (2) coaxially directed, an inner cylinder wall (11) is provided on the inside and also vertically, which in the upper cylinder section together with the outer cylinder wall (2) forms an annular damper chamber (12) forms and on the other hand in the lower cylinder section the partition between the bell-shaped Buoyancy chamber (5) and the wreath of floodable buoyancy bodies (4), the outer end of which leads to the sea 909821/0482
- 13 - the outer cylinder wall (2) is formed, represents. 5.) floating tower according to claim 4, characterized gekennzelehnet, that the inner cylinder forming an upper half of the cylinder cylindrical circumferential wall above the horizontal partition (3) is provided with openings, which a Ensure that the upper inner cylinder section is infested with water. 6.) floating tower according to claim 5, characterized in that the openings in the inner cylinder wall overall have a larger cross-sectional area than the inner cylinder. 7.) floating tower according to claim 6, characterized in that between the outer (2) and the inner Cylinder wall (11) extending over the entire height of the tower, smooth-surfaced, radially directed Partition walls (1o) are arranged, which the annular damper chamber (12) in a ring from each other separate damper chamber and subdivide the represent the mutual delimitation between the adjacent floodable buoyancy bodies (4) in the lower cylinder section of the tower. 8.) floating tower according to claim 7, characterized in that the inner cylinder wall (11) and the vertical partition walls (io) the outer cylinder wall (2) protrude downwards and a reinforcement plate designed as a radial annular collar (9) bear, the diameter of the reinforcement plate (9) being the diameter of the outer cylinder wall (2) is equivalent to. 9.) floating tower according to claim 1 to 8, characterized in that that it is made of concrete using a sliding formwork. - 14 - 909821/0482 1o.) Swimming tower according to claim 9, characterized in that both the inner (11) and the outer Cylinder wall (12) over the entire height of the tower have a constant cross-sectional shape. 11.) floating tower according to claim 1, characterized in that that the outer peripheral wall has a rosette-shaped plan shape, in which the radius of the individual rosette arcs forming circles is smaller, as the radius of the circle around the vertical partitions (io). * 2.) Swimming tower according to claim 1 to 11, characterized in that that the ring of floodable floats (4) comprises at least eight such floats and that a part of this buoyancy body the fuel supplies for the tower possibly assigned propulsion units records. 13.) floating tower according to claim 1 to 12, characterized in that that the air present in the floodable buoyancy bodies (4) is under excess pressure. 909821/0482